Astrantia plant named ‘Venice’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astrantia  plant named ‘Venice’, characterized by its upright plant habit; green-colored stems and leaves; freely and continuous flowering habit; and inflorescences with showy involucral bracts that are red purple in color.

Botanical designation: Astrantia major.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Venice’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAstrantia, botanically known as Astrantia major and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Venice’.

The new Astrantia originated from an open-pollination in 2001 of anunnamed selection of Astrantia major, not patented, as the female, orseed, parent with an unknown selection of Astrantia major, as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Astrantia was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of thestated open-pollination grown in a controlled environment inRijpwetering Wetering, The Netherlands in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions in Rijpwetering,The Netherlands, since 2003, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Astrantia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Venice have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Venice’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Venice’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofAstrantia:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.    -   2. Green-colored stems and leaves.    -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.    -   4. Inflorescences with showy involucral bracts that are red        purple in color.

Plants of the new Astrantia differ from plants of the female parentselection primarily in plant size and flower color.

Plants of the new Astrantia can be compared to plants of the Astrantiacultivar Abbey Road, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,961. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Rijpwetering, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Astrantia differed from plants of thecultivar Abbey Road primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivarAbbey Road had dark purple-colored involucral bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Astrantia.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of typicalplants of ‘Venice’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of ‘Venice’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of atypical leaf of ‘Venice’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and following description were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the late spring/early summer in an outdoor nursery inRijpwetering, The Netherlands for about one year. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 27° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from 6° C. to 14° C.

-   Botanical classification: Astrantia major cultivar Venice.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Astrantia major, not            patented.        -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Astrantia major, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By divisions.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; coppery brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Upright perennial flowering plant with basal rosette            of leaves; numerous erect peduncles support umbels of            flowers held well above the foliage. Moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 56 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 33 cm.        -   Branch description.—Arrangement: Branching mostly basal;            about three basal branches develop per plant. Length: About            40.5 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Internode length: About            15 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 143A to 143B; towards the apex, 146A to            147A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length, basal leaves.—About 12.8 cm.        -   Length, stem leaves.—About 5.2 cm.        -   Width, basal leaves.—About 13.7 cm.        -   Width, stem leaves.—About 6.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Palmately-lobed.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Hastate.        -   Margin.—Doubly serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 137A. Developing            foliage, lower surface: 137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper            surface: 137A; venation, 137A. Fully expanded foliage, lower            surface: 138A; venation, 144A to 144B.        -   Petiole length, basal leaves.—About 19.8 cm.        -   Petiole length, stem leaves.—About 3.5 cm.        -   Petiole diameter, basal leaves.—About 3.5 mm.        -   Petiole diameter, stem leaves.—About 5 mm.        -   Petiole color, basal leaves, upper and lower surfaces.—144A;            towards the base, 183B to 183C.        -   Petiole color, stem leaves, upper and lower surfaces.—143A;            longitudinal stripes, 143B to 144A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence/flower arrangement and appearance.—Numerous,            single, minute campanulate flowers subtended by showy            involucral bracts; flowers arrange in compound umbels.            Flowers face mostly upright to somewhat outwardly. Very            freely flowering; during the flowering season, typically            about 80 flowers per umbel and about eight umbels per            flowering stem develop.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from late            spring to early summer in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About twelve days; flowers            not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Faint; unpleasant.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Shape: Oblate. Color: 146A to 146B; towards the apex, 187D.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.2 cm.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2 mm. Depth (height): About 8 mm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About            2.5 mm. Width: About 0.6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Narrowly            acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower            surfaces: 59C to 60B. Fully opened, upper and lower            surfaces: 59C to 60B.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About            1 mm. Width: About 0.6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Broadly            acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper            and lower surfaces: 187A. Fully opened, upper and lower            surfaces: 187A.        -   Involucral bracts.—Arrangement: About 20 in a single whorl.            Length: About 1.9 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Elliptic to            narrowly obovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 59C; towards            the base, 186D; towards the apex, N186C. Fully opened, upper            and lower surfaces: 59C; towards the apex and venation;            N186A to N186C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 13.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146A;            longitudinal stripes, N186C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 0.3 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 64A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.            Filament length: About 3.5 mm. Filament color: 59C. Anther            shape: Elliptical. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:            155A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 155A. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma            shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: 187D. Style length: About            2.8 mm. Style color: 187D. Ovary color: 147A; ribs, 187C to            187D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astrantia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astrantia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astrantia have exhibited good    tolerance to rain, wind, high temperatures of 30° C. and are hardy    to USDA Zone 6.

1. A new and distinct Astrantia plant named ‘Venice’ as illustrated anddescribed.